Karl Lagerfeld Directs Kristen Stewart in Short Film About Coco Chanel

Once and Forever, Karl Lagerfeld’s short film which stars Kristen Stewart, premiered during the debut of Chanel’s pre-fall collection in Rome on Tuesday. Stewart doesn’t actually play the fashion house’s founder, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, but plays an actress who is portraying Coco in a biopic.

The 11-minute film features Stewart as an actress named Irys Duke who butts heads with the director and doesn’t hesitate to give some shit to the producer. “Go hire another fucking actress!” she screams in one scene. This summer, Lagerfeld had described Stewart’s role as “really, really mean.”

In an interview with Vogue, Stewart described the vintage Chanel couture pieces she got to wear in the film as “jaw-dropping.” She also talked about how it was like working with Lagerfeld on set. “Karl is supremely natural and thoughtful, which rubs off on an actor, always…that confidence,” she said. “His interest in cinema is clear and working with him in that way was inspiring…to see him in yet another shade of light, thriving…‘Once more…with feeling.’”

Geraldine Chaplin, Charlie Chaplin’s daughter, also appeared in the film, as an actress playing an older version of the designer. In a recent interview with Women’s Wear Daily, Lagerfeld called Stewart “one of the greatest actors of her generation.”